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2015 Supreme(Pat) 1299

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
ASHWANI KUMAR SINGH, J.
Pradeep Kumar Jha - Appellant
Versus
The State of Bihar - Respondent
Criminal Miscellaneous No.20447 of 2015
Decided on : 30-06-2015

Important Points

The court cannot review its own order on merits after granting bail. The order of bail can only be set aside on grounds of being illegal or contrary to law by the superior court and not by the same court.

Subject

Criminal Law - Bail and Pre-Trial Release

Act Referred

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE : S.439(2), S.362

Headnote

Code of Criminal Procedure - Cancellation of Bail - Section 362 and 439(2) - The court cannot review its own order on merits after granting bail - The order of bail can only be set aside on grounds of being illegal or contrary to law by the superior court and not by the same court - The cancellation of bail cannot be entertained in absence of any of the grounds warranting such cancellation - The impugned order of cancellation of bail is set aside.

Fact of the Case:

The case involved the cancellation of bail granted to the petitioners by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-IV, Madhubani in Sessions Trial No. 248 of 2014 arising out of Complaint Case No. 321 of 2011. The petitioners were accused in a case involving the murder of the wife of the complainant. The police report found the accusation to be false and suspected the complainant's complicity in the murder.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the cancellation of bail by the trial court amounted to reviewing its earlier order of grant of bail, which is not permissible under the law. The court held that the trial court had become functus officio after granting bail and that there is no provision for review of an order granting bail. The court set aside the order of cancellation of bail.

Issues: The main issue was whether the trial court had the authority to cancel the bail granted to the petitioners after becoming functus officio and in the absence of any grounds warranting such cancellation.

Ratio Decidendi: The court cannot review its own order on merits after granting bail. The order of bail can only be set aside on grounds of being illegal or contrary to law by the superior court and not by the same court. The cancellation of bail cannot be entertained in absence of any of the grounds warranting such cancellation.

Final Decision: The court set aside the order of cancellation of bail passed by the trial court, holding that it was not permissible under the law.

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioners:Mr. Rajiv Roy, Mr. Manoj Kumar Jha, Mrs. Sugandha, Advocate
For the State : Mr. Murlidhar, APP
For the Opp.Party :Mr. Baidyanath Thakur, Mr. Shankar Thakur, Advocate

JUDGMENT :

This application under section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (for short “the Code”) is directed against the order dated 21.1.2015 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-IV, Madhubani in Sessions Trial No.248 of 2014 arising out of Complaint

Case No.321 of 2011 whereby the bail already granted to the petitioners has been cancelled in exercise of powers conferred under section 439(2) of the Code.

2. The opposite party no.2 Sita Raman Jha initially lodged an FIR vide Rudrapur P.S. Case No.4 of 2010 dated 12.2.2010 alleging therein that in the night intervening between 11.2.2010 and 12.2.2010 at about 1 a.m. on hearing sound of knocking of the door his wife suspected that some miscreants had entered into the courtyard of the house. His wife woke him up. When he opened the door of his bedroom, he saw the co-villagers Hem Narayan Jha, Amit Kumar Jha and Pradeep Kumar Jha being armed with pistol were seen standing outside his bedroom in the torchlight. When he raised alarm, they ran away towards main door of the house. He chased them shouting “Chor-Chor”. When he reached near the main door, he saw Shambhu Nath Jha, Dilip Jha and 3-4 unknown persons standing there with pistol in their hands. He caught hold of one of the miscreants. His wife and sister-in-law (Bhabhi) also followed him shouting “Chor- Chor”. In the meantime, some one fired causing injury to his wife. When he saw his wife in an injured condition, he released the miscreant whom he had apprehended. Thereafter, the accused persons fled away. He took his injured wife to Jhanjharpur Sub-Divisional Hospital with the help of co-villagers where the doctor declared her brought dead.

3. Thus, it would appear from the contents of the FIR of Rudrapur P.S.Case No.4 of 2010 that apart from the petitioners of the present case, three more persons were named as accused in the FIR. After institution of the FIR, the police took up investigation of the case. While the case was still under investigation, opposite party no.2 Sita Raman Jha filed an application before the Magistrate concerned in the form of protest against the manner in which investigation was being carried on. The protest application filed by opposite party no.2 was kept on record in Rudrapur P.S.Case No.4 of 2010.On completion of investigation, the police submitted final report holding accusation against the named accused persons of the case to be false vide final report no. 6 of 2011 dated 14.02.2011. In the said police report, it is stated that the informant repeatedly changed his version during investigation and the statement of his Bhabhi Smt.Vandana Jha, who was the only other person said to be present at the time of occurrence apart from the deceased does not align with the statement of the informant. According to the investigating officer of the case, it transpired during investigation that opposite party no.2 had illicit relationship with his Bhabhi and he used to subject his wife to mental and physical cruelty. The investigating officer of the case suspected complicity of the informant in the alleged murder of his wife.

4. After receipt of the final report, the learned Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jhanjharpur issued notice to the informant for hearing on the police report submitted under Section 173 of the Code. On 31.05.2011 the learned Additional Chief judicial Magistrate, Jhanjharpur accepted the final report submitted by the police after hearing the informant and examining the materials available on record. He directed the protest petition to be separately registered as a complaint case. Accordingly, Complaint Case No. 321 of 2011 was registered. In the complaint case, the opposite party no.2 was examined on oath and in course of enquiry conducted under section 202 of the Code six other witnesses were also examined in support of the complaint. In the complaint case cognizance of the offence under Section 302 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act was













































































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